Wakayama Shrine Prepares New Year’s Artwork

Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine in Nachikatsuura Town, Wakayama Prefecture, has begun producing traditional calligraphy artwork for next year’s New Year celebrations.

Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested five people on suspicion of violating Japan's Employment Security Act. They are believed to have run a nationwide operation to recruit women via social media to work in the sex industry. (NHK)

Tanikawa Shuntaro -- a renowned Japanese poet who used his keen sense of observation in creating a vast body of work -- has died of old age. He was 92. (NHK)

In the trial of a wealthy businessman, known as the 'Don Juan of Kishu,' who was murdered, prosecutors have called for a life sentence for the defendant.

A British man has been arrested on suspicion of swapping genuine cash for counterfeit money in a gold trade scam, stealing 13 million yen from a business partner, Tokyo police revealed.

In Japan, the number of abandoned homes - known as Akiyas - is at an all-time high, with 9,000,000 million properties sitting empty on city streets and turning rural communities into ghost towns. (BBC World Service)

Nuisance streamers and content creators have been using Japan as a background for their social media feeds for awhile now. But now the Japanese are finally getting fed up and actually going after them over their disruptions. (Decoy Voice)

This year's Ramon Magsaysay Award has been granted to Japanese animation master Miyazaki Hayao. The award, known as "Asia's Nobel Prize," is annually given to individuals and organizations who have contributed to peace and development in Asia. (NHK)